Selectmen defer cannabis bylaw recommendation

Wednesday

Jan 10, 2018 at 2:52 PMJan 10, 2018 at 2:52 PM

Bryan McGonigle bmcgonigle@wickedlocal.com @GtownRecord

The Board of Selectmen voted unanimously Monday to delay their recommendation on a zoning bylaw that would allow Osgood Landing to be transformed into a cannabis grow and research facility. They will give their thumbs up or thumbs down on the night of the Special Town Meeting.

Selectman Richard Vaillancourt made the motion to hold off a recommendation until the night of the Special Town Meeting, because the Planning Board has been holding public hearings on the zoning bylaw change, and that board isn’t expected to make a recommendation until Jan. 23 – one day after the only Board of Selectmen meeting between now and Special Town Meeting.

The board voted "unfavorable action" for the first two articles, submitted by the anti-marijuana group Citizens for a Drug-Free North Andover. Article 1 would ban non-medical marijuana businesses from the town in the general bylaws, and Article 2 would do the same in zoning bylaws. Selectman Rosemary Smedile was the only selectman to vote "favorable action" on those.

Under the law passed by voters in 2016, towns that voted against legalization of recreational marijuana can opt to ban recreational marijuana businesses from their communities. North Andover voted against recreational legalization in 2016 – with 53 percent of votes cast against it – so Charles Salisbury, former town moderator and one of the residents behind the opposition to recreational marijuana in the town, wants to know why the town’s officials haven’t utilized their ability to ban it.

"Since that election in 2016, up until last summer – and I’m not sure what the current number is – there have been some 32 different communities who have passed this kind of control to say, ‘Thank you, but we don’t need this in our community,’" Salisbury said.

Andover is set to vote on a similar ban this month, and Salisbury said it’s anticipated to pass.

"If North Andover wants to differentiate itself from Andover, I suggest that this isn’t particularly the way you ought to do it," he said.

For Article 3, which would prohibit marijuana retail sales, on-site consumption of marijuana, marijuana special events and craft marijuana collaboratives, the board voted unanimously voted to recommend "favorable action." This shouldn’t be a surprise, since this article was submitted by the board.

But for Articles 4, 5 and 6, the board voted to take no action regarding a recommendation. Article 4 is the big one: It would change the town’s zoning bylaw to expand the town’s medical marijuana overlay district to include 1600 Osgood St., allowing Massachusetts Innovation Works to proceed with permitting for their proposed million-square-foot cannabis grow and research complex.

Article 5 would simply change the zoning map (something that must be done with zoning changes) to reflect the new marijuana zoning, if Article 5 passes. And Article 6 would authorize the town manager to resume negotiations for a host agreement with Massachusetts Innovation Works.

Most of the people who spoke at the selectmen’s meeting were against bringing recreational marijuana to Osgood Landing.

Ted Tripp, co-founder of the North Andover Taxpayers Association, expressed concern about the businesses that are already there.

"The current Osgood properties have 75 businesses – some offices, some manufacturing, and some recreational – that are currently there, and I just wonder, if it becomes a pot growing facility, how many of these might leave and how many jobs might be lost?" Tripp said.

Resident Anne Gleason said Massachusetts Innovation Works is being "misleading" by focusing on medical marijuana, when in fact the facility would grow marijuana for recreational use as well.

"We all know what [MIW] really plans to do, and I’m just really tired of people pretending and saying it’s just going to be about medical research – It’s not," Gleason said.

School Committee member David Torrisi called the Osgood proposal a "Trojan horse."

"My husband and I came here to raise a family, and we wouldn’t have done it if it had the largest grow facility. We wouldn’t be here," resident Kelly Cormier said.

Kathleen Sullivan, who has kids ranging in age from 9 to 22, said she fears for her children if a cannabis grow facility is allowed in.

"To have a 22-year-old son who might go out there and take those drugs – We don’t know the effects. Their brains are not fully developed," Sullivan said. "What if my son was at a party and somebody offered him some pot? I have a senior in high school. I am concerned about him going away to college.

"This is North Andover," Sullivan continued. "I’ve been here for 20 years. I love this town. But this is not my town, that would want a community that would support… the largest [cannabis] facility."